[ad_1]
Western Bureau:
Residents from multiple St. Elizabeth communities were treated to hot meals and relief supplies at Black River High School as RJRGLEANER Communications Group provided assistance to those severely impacted by Hurricane Beryl.
The initiative, which also includes outdoor broadcasting and provision of mobile charging stations for electronic devices, is being implemented by the media group in conjunction with sponsors including Mother’s Food Group, Spicy Hill Farms Limited and Yummy Bakery.
Camala Smith, a resident of Brompton Lane near Black River, expressed gratitude for the rescue as her family works to recover from the Category 4 hurricane.
“When Hurricane Beryl hit, I had to watch my mother’s roof blow off. There are probably two layers of zinc left on the roof now, so we really need help getting her back on track. She lived in my neighborhood at the time, so thank God she wasn’t home when this happened,” Smith recalled.
She expressed gratitude for the rescue efforts.
Whitney Graham, a resident of nearby Luana, said she and several residents went out to pick up meals and relief items after the community was hit by Typhoon Beryl.
“The first morning after the storm, I couldn’t get to work because the roads were blocked, but a few hours later, the roads were clear. My roof was fine, it just lifted up a little, but all the fruit trees in the yard were down,” Graham said.
“It would be a big help to get a care package today, a little bit of this, a little bit of that,” Graham added. “Honestly, I’m really happy about this event because in my area, there are a lot of people who need help and I came here and saw some of them and a lot of packages, so I think everyone will take something home today.”
She said that although residents hope to rebuild their homes as soon as possible and escape the disaster, there is insufficient funding.
On July 3, Typhoon Beryl passed near the southern coast of Jamaica. St. Elizabeth Parish was one of the parishes hardest hit, with the typhoon causing power outages, communication disruptions, and damage to infrastructure and property.
The agricultural landscape of the parish has also been adversely affected.
Gary Allen, senior director of corporate and external affairs for the RJRGLEANER communications group, said Sunday’s move could be replicated in other parishes affected by Hurricane Beryl.
“Our organization is known for trying to help out after disasters, and this was no different. We took $1 million from a donation fund that we had received previously and we started providing assistance, and then we got some corporate sponsors on board who were able to join us in providing meals. We started in Black River, and this will likely happen in several other parishes,” he said.
[ad_2]
Source link
